Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Review of Kitchen History

Review of Kitchen History

Desserts and sherbets had such an important place in Seljuk cuisine that whenever the sultans held a feast, dessert was always served after the meal. One of the most consumed beverages by the Seljuk sultans was sherbet made from fruits, which has always been one of the most important beverages in Turkish cuisine in every period. 


The most well-known sherbet belonging to the Seljuk cuisine is boza. On the other hand, sirkencubin sherbet is also known as Mevlana sherbet because it is a mixture that Mevlana liked very much, which is made by mixing vinegar and honey.


The Mevlevi understanding, which managed to completely influence the Seljuk period, also influenced the Seljuk cuisine in terms of cuisine. As in the palace cuisine, the Mevlevi cuisine adopted the philosophy of “cook in the pot, eat on the lid”, which was far from ostentatious, and the whole understanding of simplicity of Sufism was evident in the kitchen as well. Table manners were especially important in Mevlevi cuisine. The table was addressed as somat, the person who set the table was called somatçı, and the disciples were addressed as souls. The meal always started and ended with salt. The person who prepares the food, that is, the one who cooks it, is called the “kazancı dede”. After the dede prepares the meal, the souls would carry the food to the table and pray for the meal together. Lots of fruit was used in meat dishes, so that the food is flavoured with fruit’s taste. In addition to meat dishes, vegetable dishes were also among the delicacies frequently prepared in Seljuk and Mevlevi cuisine. Stuffed apples and spinach borani are the most well-known among them.


The best proof of how important the food and the cook are in Mevlevi cuisine is; Ateşbaz-ı Veli, who is the first cook to have a mausoleum built in his name, is very important for the Mevlevi sect. 


Although it is not possible to reach all the flavours of Seljuk and Mevlevi cuisine that we can often encounter in Mevlana’s works, we have the chance to taste these delicious flavours that those who taste once will never forget for a lifetime.